Curated by Ira Musnadi-Weskamp and Jutta Odenwälder, started 2019 in Malang, Indonesia.
After a “traveling break” due to Covid, we presented positions from the fields of media art, photography, sculpture and calligraphy here in Cologne.
IDENTITY NOMADS
Identity is a term that we encounter everywhere today, but at the same time has never been so ambivalent. Indonesian artist Teguh Ostenrik, German artists Lili Voigt and Odo Rumpf and Singaporean painter and calligraphy artist Irene S. M. Lee explore and process the multitude of influences on their identity in their works. The resulting artworks differ greatly in material and style, but also have much in common. As Identity Nomads, they navigate through cultures, belief systems and traditions, claiming their place and at the same time promoting mutual acceptance. The self manifests itself as a multi-layered construct as soon as the usual boundaries dissolve. The once defined identity, seemingly firmly rooted in tradition and customs, is uprooted by fragments of global ideas and is set in motion. The artists thus expose a global identity crisis by decomposing their own lives and their relationship to the very things that used to be the cornerstones of our identity, such as religion, ethnicity, ideology, nationality, gender, origin and tradition.
With uncompromising openness, they offer the viewer their interpretations, some inspiring, some amusing, some challenging. The works captivate with their authenticity, showing an unobstructed view of the self.Identity Nomads are on a journey without a final destination. It is a journey that challenges us to face what we encounter along the way and what we find within ourselves. Ultimately, it is a journey to the self.
Jutta Odenwälder
Impressions
